Journal of Educational Practice for Social Change 2012 | Page 16
“Autistic children will remain in their own little worlds if left to their own devices…” However, many
individuals with ASD may also evidence ASD by being non-verbal and may need to use
communication boards, sign language, or other forms of assistive technology.
I recently read Am I Still Autistic: How a Low-Functioning, Slightly Retarded Toddler Became CEO of a
Multi-Million Dollar National Corporation. It is a first person account of what it means to be considered
“autistic.”
This book is a personal narrative about Hall’s experiences. At the onset of the text, he described
being calm and tranquil, much like a deep meditative state. Nothing bothered him and he appeared to
be wrapped in peace and comfort to the exclusion of everything else. The outside world did not touch
him. He described his early experiences with family, friends, and people in elementary, middle, and
high school. At one and a half, the child development center viewed him as mute, and that he used
ritualistic behavior that tuned out the environment. Personal at the center observed that he rejected
people “as a source of gratification and security” and relied on himself for tension reduction. (Hall,
2011) He discovered methods that enabled him ????????????????????!????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q???????????